The political context of single-parent families is particularly relevant, as single parenthood represents a new social risk with adverse outcomes. This open panel invites theory-driven empirical studies on the political context of single- parent families. We specifically invite papers that address:

Social Policy Responses: descriptions and analyses of social policy innovations focused on single-parent families. What social policies are adopted for single-parent families, and how are these policies debated? What are the determinants of (EU member) states adopting policies? Is there a trend towards targeting or universalism? How does Social Investment translate to policies for single-parent families?

Social Policy Outcomes: descriptions and analyses of how social policies affect single-parent families. What are the various policy arrangements for single-parent families? Do single?parent families benefit more from universal welfare state policies, or from policies targeted on specific needs of such families?

This panel will be part of the annual Policy and Politics conference, September 15-16th in Bristol. The full call for this panel is found online (.PDF). More information, and guidelines on submitting an abstract, are to be found on the conference website.

For further questions, leave a comment below of e-mail me at rense.nieuwenhuis@sofi.su.se